Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

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Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later, and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands in 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. With hostilities ended and Argentine forces withdrawn, UK administration resumed. In response to renewed calls from Argentina for Britain to relinquish control of the islands, a referendum was held in 2013 that resulted in 99.8% of the population voting to remain a part of the UK.

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Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina

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51 45 S, 59 00 W

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South America

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<strong>note:</strong> includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands

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slightly smaller than Connecticut

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1,288 km

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cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 60 cm in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

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rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

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fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss

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NA

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a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley

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strong winds persist throughout the year

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deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

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<strong>note:</strong> data include all persons usually resident in the islands at the time of the 2021 census

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Falkland Islander 48.3%, British 23.1%, St. Helenian 7.5%, Chilean 4.6%, mixed 6%, other 8.5%, unspecified 2% (2016 est.)

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<strong>note: </strong>data represent population by national identity

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English 89%, Spanish 7.7%, other 3.3% (2006 est.)

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Christian 57.1%, other 1.6%, none 35.4%, unspecified 6% (2016 est.)

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0.01% (2014 est.)

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10.9 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

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4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.)

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a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley

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2,000 STANLEY (capital) (2018)

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47.7% (2016 est.)

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overfishing by unlicensed vessels; grazing threatens important habitats; soil erosion from fires

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cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 60 cm in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but typically does not accumulate

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parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

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overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

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English common law and local statutes

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see United Kingdom

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18 years of age; universal

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<strong>note:</strong> appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

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none; all independents

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none (administered by the UK; claimed by Argentina)

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UPU

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none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)

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Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)

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<strong>description:</strong> blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the coat of arms has a white ram above the ship "Desire" (whose crew discovered the islands), with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT

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ram

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red, white, blue

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the Falkland Islands adopted its coat of arms in 1948; the shield highlights the national symbol, the ram, which represents the country’s agricultural industry and stands on native tussock grass; English navigator John Davis’s sailing vessel, the <em>Desire</em>,<em> </em>is shown, referencing his sighting of the islands in 1592; below the shield is the national motto, “Desire the Right”

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British South American territorial economy; longstanding fishing industry; surging tourism prior to COVID-19 and Brexit; recent offshore hydrocarbon discoveries threaten ecotourism industries; no central bank and must have British approval on currency shifts

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$206.4 million (2015 est.)

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fodder and vegetable crops; venison, sheep, dairy products; fish, squid

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fish and wool processing; tourism

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Spain 68%, Morocco 10%, USA 8%, Namibia 3%, Germany 2% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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shellfish, fish, wool, sheep and goat meat (2023)

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<strong>note:</strong> top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

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UK 68%, Greece 19%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 1%, NZ 0% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, aircraft parts, prefabricated buildings, plastic products, surveying equipment (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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TV service provided by a multi-channel service provider; radio provided by public broadcaster Falkland Islands Radio Service and the British Forces Broadcasting Service&nbsp; (2007)

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.fk

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VP-F

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34 (2025)

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no regular military forces

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defense is the responsibility of the UK, which maintains a military presence on the islands